Certain electrical connectors (“connectors”) have a large number of contacts depending on the connector's application. To mate or disconnect these connectors from each other, a large force is required to overcome the friction generated by the contacts. Lever-actuated connectors are often used in these applications, where the mating and disconnecting of the connector from a mating connector is performed by using the mechanical advantages provided by leverage.
Conventionally, a lever is mounted on a plug housing of a lever-actuated connector, such as a connector housing female terminals. The lever rotates between an initial mating position and a final mating position. A receptacle housing of a mating connector, such as a connector housing male terminals, is provided with a cam pin. With the lever being held at the initial mating position, both housings are partially mated together, thereby causing the cam pin to enter a cam groove provided in the lever. From this state, the lever is rotated to the final mating position. Then, with a cam operation in which the cam groove and the cam pin are engaged together, both housings are mated together, and terminals of both connectors are electrically connected together.
The term “rotate” and its derivatives refer to both clockwise rotation and counterclockwise rotation, unless otherwise specified.
One drawback of lever-actuated connectors is that determining visually whether the connectors have completely mated is difficult. Therefore, other methods are necessary to confirm whether mating is complete.
Various conventional mating detection methods are known, such as the one described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-150959 A, which provides a terminal to detect whether devices have been connected together.
Similarly, Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-117045 A discloses a lever-actuated connector having a terminal for mating detection. Prior to mating the mating detection terminal is separate from a counterpart mating detection terminal and after mating has been completed, the mating detection terminal is in contact with the counterpart mating detection terminal to form a detection circuit. The detection circuit electrically detects whether normal mating has been completed.
However, in spite of the utility of the detection circuit, Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-117045 A presents a number of disadvantages. For example, a detection arm is displaced by operation of a mating lever, and the mating detection terminal is elastically displaced by operation of the detection arm to control contact or non-contact with the counterpart mating detection terminal. Further, multiple connector members necessary for operating the detection arm (a pressuring member and a pre-pressuring member) are provided to the lever. These additional components increase the complexity of the connector, and results in undesirable increases in cost.
There is a need for a lever-actuated electrical connector with a reduced number of elements that is capable of achieving a mating detection function.